The Sixpence wrote:What would you say is the spirit of Queen then lizg?

I can't really put it into words without it losing part of the essence of Queen. I'll just throw out some elements I see that make up Queen...

rock energyclassically trainedgiftedcreativeout of the boxclassical progressionsskillfully crafted harmonies and arrangementsoperaticlarger than lifespiritual- in the sense that seeing the rising sun makes one glad to be alivegreat strength of character/spirit (not just Freddie, but the other members as well), epitomized by http://www.lyrics007.com/Queen%20Lyrics ... yrics.html , and also by the boldness/uniqueness of their art/decisionstheatric/expressiveshowman's showmanextremely boldgreat sensitivityuniquely themselves

Last edited by lizg on Fri Jul 13, 2012 1:00 am, edited 1 time in total.

I've already heard Martel perform and find him to be a good Freddie imitator but a tad boring - no charisma whatsoever. Anyway, who wants to see a Freddie imitator when no one could top Freddie at doing what he did? I'm quite curious to see how Mr. Lambert does with the Queen material because he has an amazing vocal range and he has stated that he will honor Freddie but not try to imitate him. Also, I've seen videos of Lambert performing live and he looks to have lots of stage presence and great interaction with the audience. That's one of the true talents that Freddie had too. So I say, trust Brian and Roger in choosing him and give Mr. Lambert a chance to show us all what he can do.

Spanky Pants Lad wrote:I've already heard Martel perform and find him to be a good Freddie imitator but a tad boring - no charisma whatsoever. Anyway, who wants to see a Freddie imitator when no one could top Freddie at doing what he did? I'm quite curious to see how Mr. Lambert does with the Queen material because he has an amazing vocal range and he has stated that he will honor Freddie but not try to imitate him. Also, I've seen videos of Lambert performing live and he looks to have lots of stage presence and great interaction with the audience. That's one of the true talents that Freddie had too. So I say, trust Brian and Roger in choosing him and give Mr. Lambert a chance to show us all what he can do.

Spanky Pants Lad wrote:I've already heard Martel perform and find him to be a good Freddie imitator but a tad boring - no charisma whatsoever. Anyway, who wants to see a Freddie imitator when no one could top Freddie at doing what he did? I'm quite curious to see how Mr. Lambert does with the Queen material because he has an amazing vocal range and he has stated that he will honor Freddie but not try to imitate him. Also, I've seen videos of Lambert performing live and he looks to have lots of stage presence and great interaction with the audience. That's one of the true talents that Freddie had too. So I say, trust Brian and Roger in choosing him and give Mr. Lambert a chance to show us all what he can do.

I think Adam has put this thread to rest.Rest in peace.

Not at all. He has just confirmed how wrong he is for Queen. Marc Martel is a much better singer for queensongs. Lambert could probably cover Boy George well.

Spanky Pants Lad wrote:I've already heard Martel perform and find him to be a good Freddie imitator but a tad boring - no charisma whatsoever. Anyway, who wants to see a Freddie imitator when no one could top Freddie at doing what he did? I'm quite curious to see how Mr. Lambert does with the Queen material because he has an amazing vocal range and he has stated that he will honor Freddie but not try to imitate him. Also, I've seen videos of Lambert performing live and he looks to have lots of stage presence and great interaction with the audience. That's one of the true talents that Freddie had too. So I say, trust Brian and Roger in choosing him and give Mr. Lambert a chance to show us all what he can do.

I think Adam has put this thread to rest.Rest in peace.

Not at all. He has just confirmed how wrong he is for Queen. Marc Martel is a much better singer for queensongs. Lambert could probably cover Boy George well.

Look, if you want an imitation of Queen, then Queen Extravaganza is for you. Martel is capable enough, though a bit boring.

Queen and Lambert are proper artists doing their thing, clearly that doesn't suit you and that's fine. Stick to your imitations and old concert videos then.

So yes, Lambert HAS put this "debate" to rest. There is no comparison. Martel is a paid impersonator, Lambert is an artist. Case closed.

[/quote]Look, if you want an imitation of Queen, then Queen Extravaganza is for you. Martel is capable enough, though a bit boring.

Queen and Lambert are proper artists doing their thing, clearly that doesn't suit you and that's fine. Stick to your imitations and old concert videos then.

So yes, Lambert HAS put this "debate" to rest. There is no comparison. Martel is a paid impersonator, Lambert is an artist. Case closed.[/quote]

You think the case is closed just because Lambert has performed some gigs with Brian and Roger? Of course not. I still disagree with the whole thing. I am happy for those who are able to enjoy Lambert.

You also call Martel an impersonator, I disagree. He happens to sound like Freddie in some areas, but he is by NO MEANS trying to imitate his moves or way to dress on stage. If you want to see someone who try to copy Freddies campness and way to dress then Lambert is your man.

You are allowed to have your opinions like anyone else, but the case is not closed. What an arrogant thing to say.

Another_Roger wrote:You think the case is closed just because Lambert has performed some gigs with Brian and Roger? Of course not. I still disagree with the whole thing. I am happy for those who are able to enjoy Lambert.

You also call Martel an impersonator, I disagree. He happens to sound like Freddie in some areas, but he is by NO MEANS trying to imitate his moves or way to dress on stage. If you want to see someone who try to copy Freddies campness and way to dress then Lambert is your man.

You are allowed to have your opinions like anyone else, but the case is not closed. What an arrogant thing to say.

Got to be honest, the case is also closed for me, although it was sort of closed all along - never thought Briand and Roger should share the stage with a Freddie imitator. It's not closed because Adam 'performed some gigs with Brian and Roger', but because he totally proved that he could bring that music back alive but still retain his own artistic identity while doing so. Not once did I think I was witnessing a Freddie Impersonator.

Personally, I don't think Marc has that same capacity. I do think he is an amazing Freddie imitator, but from watching the videos from QE, I did not once get a hint of 'Marc Martell the artist in his own right'!

That is not to say I don't think he has an amazing voice and can understand why people call him 'Freddies long lost son' but for me, there was only one Freddie and I still feel it would be areal insult to see Brian and Roger performing with a Freddie Mercury impersonator.

To be totally fair, his freddie 'impersonation' is right for the QE tour, so maybe he would be different in a different setting, but I ca't see how much different he would be still singing Queen songs with Brian and Roger.

The guy who won Stars In Their Eyes in the UK, Gary Mullen, sounds more like Freddie than Martel, and I wouldn't say then he was worth paying money to see! Lambert's voice just isn't my cup of tea and despite what others say I don't think it's suited to Queen's material anymore than Paul Rodgers voice was - they are both putting their own spin on the material, which is great. The trouble is one of them (by them I mean Rodgers and Lambert) I would (and did) pay money to see, the other I wouldn't (and didn't)!.

Last edited by The Sixpence on Sat Jul 14, 2012 3:59 pm, edited 1 time in total.

If Brian and Roger wanted to tour with Marc obviously they had that option available to them so what is the debate about?

Brian and Roger apparently see something in AL that sparks a renewed energy. It's so cool to see them on stage having a great time, like the old days again. They have this joy about them that was missing with PR IMO.

I saw Marc on Ellen when he first posted his audition for the QE. He's a very good impersonator but to me he's lifeless and flat. I think he'd be a poor substitute for Freddie.

I saw QE and LOVE them!!! What a nice bunch of talented kids. I would see them multiple times if I could. Can't wait for the next leg of the tour as plans are in action.

However, as good as Marc is, he is the least of the reasons I like QE. Initially Roger never wanted sound a likes, but, when Marc's video went viral it is as if they had no choice but to put him in the band. He is a good fit for the fans who want to hear that. Mullen? He is def. a much better Freddie sound-a-like (and a very nice person), but possibly one of the reasons (cheesy impersonator bands?) Roger wanted to start his own tribute band.

Lambert...well they have apparently been after this boy ever since he was on AI and they finally got him. They must be paying him out the ass to do these gigs. I'd love to see them bring it to the US. I only learned of Lambert when he became the buzz amongst Queen fans while competing on AI. I wasn't watching the series, but even family members who knew me said I would like him and so I started tuning in. In fact I do LOVE him and his voice, if not the actual song's he records.

And one last comparison, as much as I like Lambert and his voice, now having heard him sing the Queen tracks via youtube, I do think that JSS and Yvan Pedneault of QE do a much better job on some/many of those songs. Of course they, esp. Yvan, have had a lot more practice. But I'd still rather see Q+AL anyday.

Maybe one day we will get the "Brian May and Roger Taylor Present The Music of Queen" tour and they can put whomever they want on the microphone. You're welcome. LOL

valmacclinchy wrote:Martel obviously was born with a voice similar to Freddie's (in some ways) and impersonates Freddie.

Adam Lambert is a singer/songwriter with a rare countertenor voice and mad crazy stage presence that has to be experienced to be believed, who interprets Queen songs with his own unique gifts.

Wow! It's amazes me how SOME Lambert fans bristle when people dismiss Adam Lambert as a karaoke singer because he was on American Idol and don't bother to consider the work Lambert has done outside of American Idol. And yet, in practically the same sentence, they dismiss Marc Martel as just a Freddie impersonator after what, watching one or two videos of him singing Queen songs?

Martel is a singer, plays piano and guitar, and is a songwriter who has written just over half of the songs that his band plays on the 8 or so albums they have released to date -- and he wrote them all by himself. His band, by the way, has won 4 Juno awards (the Canadian equivalent of the Grammys).

If you believe that Brian May wasn't just spouting PR soundbites when he said that Adam Lambert has a one in a million voice, then surely you must believe that Brian was also being sincere when he said Marc Martel is "a gift from the gods"?

IMO BOTH Lambert and Martel can do justice to Queen songs. Jeff Scott Soto (another one SOME Lambert fans have slagged off as a low-talent) can also sing Queen songs well and has actually performed several times with Brian and Roger -- were Brian and Roger just slumming then?

The only differences between these guys as far as suitability to sing with Queen+ goes is:

1.The personal preference of fans. Assuming a fan doesn't believe Queen should have died with Freddie, then who they prefer comes down to whether they want Queen to retain the classic Queen sound or have Queen songs re-interpreted by someone new; how much do they require Freddie-style flamboyance in a Queen frontman; and at a most basic level, whose voice do they like the best. And preference for a voice has NOTHING to do with who has the most technical ability or range or else Bob Dylan would have never had a career.

2.Band chemistry. During the QE auditions, Roger said that past a certain level, many of those auditioning were qualified to be in QE. What he was looking for beyond technical ability is which group of people had the most chemistry together. I believe ***THIS*** is the main reason why Brian and Roger chose Lambert to front Queen+ and it's reiterated in Brian's recent soapbox postings.

Band chemistry is such an elusive and personal thing. Not having chemistry with Brian and Roger doesn't make someone any less talented or less of an artist. Look at it this way, if the situation were reversed -- if Brian and Roger had had crazy chemistry with Martel instead, do you think their thought process would have been, "Well, we totally love Marc but Adam has the most range and technical ability so let's go with Adam"?

Finally, for those who haven't seen Martel perform anything but Queen songs, I leave you with this -- pretty good for someone who has never had any formal voice training, huh?